Eagles 'Dawgs' Notch NFL Firsts in Win vs. Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackles and former Georgia teammates Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis were forces in the season-opening victory over the New England Patriots.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – It was a night of firsts for some on the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense.

Not for Darius Slay, though. The veteran cornerback had the third pick-six interception of his career in the Eagles’ 25-20 win over the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

“It was great,” he said. “I saw that (tipped ball), and I was, ‘Ooh, chill, let me go get that,’” he said. “Of course, when I saw the green grass, I knew I was going into the end zone for sure. I’ve got the speed of Speedy Gonzales.”

Slay certainly has the speed to keep outrunning Father Time. Now 32, he could not be caught by anyone on the Patriots’ defense. The touchdown gave the Eagles a 10-0 lead with 4:56 to play in the first quarter.

The firsts were turned in by defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, a pair of Dawgs from the University of Georgia and both first-round picks of the Eagles the past two seasons.

Carter, this year's ninth overall pick, became just the third player in team history to notch their first career sack in their first career game on the road.

He joined Fletcher Cox and Corey Simon as the only players to do that with a takedown of New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones with 51 seconds remaining in the game.

Jalen Carter gets his first carer sack in his first game as a pro / USA Today

Per Next Gen Stats, Carter finished with six pressures on 32 pass rushes. It is tied for the most pressures by any rookie defensive tackle in a game over the last five seasons. He played 40 snaps (50 percent).

“We had a call that we had just run,” he said about his sack. “I executed the call. The quarterback, under pressure from the other guys, stepped up in the pocket and happened to come into my hands.”

This wasn’t a cheapie that came in garbage time or anything like that. This was a play that had to be made to help the Eagles win their third straight season-opener in the Nick Sirianni era and begin the season at 1-0 with the home opener set for Thursday night against the Minnesota Vikings (0-1).

The Patriots were driving for the winning touchdown and had reached Philly’s 19 when they were faced with a second-and-10. Carter delivered from there, sacking Jones for a three-yard loss and forcing New England to call its final timeout with 51 seconds to play.

“The score is like it was, and the team is driving down the field to win,” he said. “I just did my best rush, get the best call from our defensive coordinator.”

“I was trying different things,” he said. “I was on both sides of the D-line. Just reading both of the guards, seeing what they’re doing. Seeing what the slide is, if I’m getting it from the QB or the center. Just working from there."

As for Davis, he notched his first career forced fumble and first sack, though it was one he had to share with Josh Sweat while making six tackles. He played 35 snaps (44 percent.

He stripped the ball away from Ezekiel Elliott after Elliott had caught a screen pass in the first quarter. The fumble was recovered by linebacker Zach Cunningham, who recorded his first fumble recovery since Nov. 3, 2019, at Jacksonville when he was with the Houston Texans.

The play set up the Eagles’ offense at New England’s 26. Four plays later, Jalen Hurts found DeVonta Smith for a five-yard touchdown and a 16-0 lead.

“I didn’t even know what happened until I walked to the sideline,” Davis said. “I just thought I got a tackle for a loss. Just doing the fundamentals, wrapping at the ball, securing the tackle, and then whatever happens, happens. Grateful for the guy scooping it up.”

Like Carter’s sack, Davis’ half-sack came at an opportune time. It came after Hurts’ fumble gave New England the ball at the Eagles’ 41. After a five-yard run, Davis and Sweat got to Jones for a seven-yard loss. Two incomplete passes later, the Eagles had the ball back up.

“Just keep going,” said Davis when asked about his first QB takedown. “It’s great to have, but those opportunities pop up when they pop up and you just have to try and take advantage of them.”